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DirecTV may consider itself to be the leader in HD programming but ask anyone in Bakersfield, CA and they will tell that just isn't the case. Brighthouse, ATT U-Verse, and Dish all offer the locals in HD but DirecTV still does not. Nielson claims that there are 225,000 households here but the local population is well over 800,000. It would seem that compared to Juneau AK (DMA 207 with 25,000 households) this market would be attractive to DirecTV but apparently not. Juneau has locals in HD thru DirecTV.

Anyone have any idea why Bakersfield still does not have locals in HD thru DirecTV?

DirecTV may consider itself to be the leader in HD programming but ask anyone in Bakersfield, CA and they will tell that just isn't the case. Brighthouse, ATT U-Verse, and Dish all offer the locals in HD but DirecTV still does not. Nielson claims that there are 225,000 households here but the local population is well over 800,000. It would seem that compared to Juneau AK (DMA 207 with 25,000 households) this market would be attractive to DirecTV but apparently not. Juneau has locals in HD thru DirecTV.

Anyone have any idea why Bakersfield still does not have locals in HD thru DirecTV?

Households are different than total population. Bakersfield locals come off a satellite at 119 West. There are several markets with locals at 119 that do not have locals in HD right now. More HD locals are coming this year.

I feel your pain. Lafayette, LA is ranked 124 (and Bakersfield 126 in the most recent rankings FYI), and they are the only area left in the entire state with HD locals already available or planned for future launch (if those other markets haven't launched already by now).

It is fairly frustrating, and mind-boggling since this market is much bigger than others in the state. But it is all a matter of the local stations wanting to construct the proper facilities, as well as signing the contracts necessary to facilitate these channels. If the station owners are stubborn, then the consumers are left in the dust.

From what I have heard, the issue in Bakersfield is an upload facility. D* is currently targeting 2013 to get it done. This is from remarks of a station GM to the Bakersfield Californian. That was the line D* was giving them.

If you can't wait check out www.antennaweb.org or www.tvfool.com to see if you can receive OTA HD Locals with an antenna.Good Luck!.

I've been receiving my Lansing HD locals via OTA for over 5 years, thats why I'm not really concerned if they ever get them or not. But for those that cant do OTA, a top 120ish or so DMA should have had them by now...

Hey, Bakersfield made the list on Directv's site again! In early 2009 we made the list, and it said March 2009. Of course, we disappeared from the list before February and haven't heard a word since from KGB-like offices of Directv in El Segundo. Now the list says Bakersfield- 2012! Could they be more vague? At least it doesn't say "At some point before the world ends in December". So, at some point in the next ten months, only four years after we could have had our locals in HD via cable or Dish, we MIGHT have them provided by Directv. I'll believe it when i see it on my tv. I can get rid of the RadioShack antenna on my counter, and possibly get a newer box from Directv that has more disc space, since I won't have to worry about OTA inputs. It will feel good to join the rest of the US in the 2000s and watch ABC, CBS, and NBC in HD.

Please tell me that Eugene, OR (DMA 118) will get ours this year as well. I am losing a ton of refer-a-friend discounts as well as suffering with with screwy OTA reception (transmitters here are about 180 degrees apart from each other). Eugene is the second largest DMA without HD Locals. If Lansing gets theirs, we will be the largest. The wife is sick of looking at rabbit ears and having to record shows on both the OTA and SD channels, cause OTA is not always working and we lose shows. It should not be that hard. We only have 5 HD channels here: The Big 4 and PBS. You know they are already receiving the HD version and downconverting them to SD.

Please tell me that Eugene, OR (DMA 118) will get ours this year as well. I am losing a ton of refer-a-friend discounts as well as suffering with with screwy OTA reception (transmitters here are about 180 degrees apart from each other). Eugene is the second largest DMA without HD Locals. If Lansing gets theirs, we will be the largest. The wife is sick of looking at rabbit ears and having to record shows on both the OTA and SD channels, cause OTA is not always working and we lose shows. It should not be that hard. We only have 5 HD channels here: The Big 4 and PBS. You know they are already receiving the HD version and downconverting them to SD.